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First Hyundai N car coming to US in 2018, and we think we know what it is

SEOUL, South Korea - At the worldwide debut for the all-new Hyundai Kona compact crossover in South Korea, a group of journalists was given a sneak peek at Hyundai's new N performance car division. The group, led by Albert Biermann, has been tasked with giving Hyundai a performance image beyond the occasional car like the Genesis coupe or Veloster Turbo. Its first project, the i30 N, is nearly complete. Unfortunately, it's not coming to the US, though we will be getting our very own N car sometime next year. Now, Biermann and Hyundai will not say what that car is, but all signs point to the Veloster. Hyundai won't comment on future products, but we saw at least three distinct versions of the Veloster testing at Namyang during our visit. There was a standard model with center-mounted trapezoidal exhaust tips. There was a turbo-badged model with two round center-mounted exhaust tips. Finally, we saw what is surely the N model. This had a hidden N badge in the grille (in the same place as the i30 Ns that we saw) and exhaust tips that were pushed to the corners of the bumper. We weren't allowed to take photos of anything, but the new Veloster has the same basic asymmetric shape as before, as seen in some spy photos. The interior looks to be similar to the i30, with a floating infotainment display and a clean and simple layout. Unfortunately, most of the exterior was still covered in camouflage. Despite the parade of cars, there was nothing on the exterior that we haven't seen in spy photos. Other details are scarce, but look for the turbo model to retain the 1.6-liter turbocharged inline four, good for at least 200 horsepower. That should give the N model plenty of breathing room. We believe it will get the same engine as the i30 N, meaning a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four making at least 250 horsepower, possibly more. While we didn't get a chance to drive the i30 N, the cars made all the right noises when blasting about. According to Biermann, it was the sound of tuned Hondas and Kias blasting about Hyundai's R&D facility that really kicked things off with N. Engineers were buying other cars since there wasn't much on offer. Hyundai wanted to give people cars they could track and tune and be just as fast as the competition. We have high hopes for both the Veloster N and the N division as a whole. Biermann was formerly the vice president of engineering for BMW's M division and was in charge of the development of the M3, M4, and M6.

Hyundai planning N-badged Genesis performance models

Speaking with Australian media ahead of the launch of the new Genesis G90 at the Detroit Auto Show this week, Albert Biermann, performance chief at Hyundai, confirmed that there will be N-badged versions of both Hyundai and Genesis models. And he ought to know. Biermann was recently poached over to South Korea after having served as chief engineer at BMW's M division. "N is a sub-brand and with N high-performance cars we work for both brands — so you have to be ready for N versions for Hyundai and for Genesis," said Biermann. "We have a nice roadmap for the next five years... There will be Genesis cars included" that will offer "the full package... real racetrack-going high-performance cars." The first model that the N division is expected to fettle is the next-generation i30 hatchback – Hyundai's challenger to the likes of the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf. That ought to give the Korean automaker a solid rival to the Focus ST and Golf GTI, and a venue for Hyundai to showcase everything it's learned in the World Rally Championship. But that's not all Biermann and company have in store. Hyundai is working on a new Genesis G70 that will take on the BMW 3 Series and its many competitors. The G70 would make a prime candidate for the N treatment, and with the benefit of Biermann's expertise, it could prove the sweet-handling and hot-performing Korean sports sedan we've been waiting for. We wouldn't at all be surprised, either, to see N performance versions of the new G90, the G80 that was launched just recently as the Hyundai Genesis sedan, and other future products under both brands – particularly a successor to the Genesis Coupe. Related Video:

Recharge Wrap-up: meet the '66 ZelectricBug, DOE announces home-scale H2 refueling competition

The US Department of Energy has launched the $1 million H2 Refuel H-Prize competition to create small- to medium-scale hydrogen refueling systems. The systems could be home-scale systems that produce hydrogen using utilities at home for refueling, or medium-scale systems to supply locations such as retail centers, apartment complexes or small fleets. The DOE sees hydrogen fueling infrastructure as the biggest obstacle to fuel-cell vehicle adoption and putting the production and refueling in the hands of the consumer could be a way around that obstacle. Read more at Energy.gov and at Green Car Congress. Hyundai has announced a new six-speed automatic transmission with integrated electric motor for new hybrid models. The new configuration puts most of the hybrid powertrain components within the transmission, and the torque converter has been eliminated. The new engine clutch reduces drag with fewer clutch discs, and the mechanical oil pump has been replaced with an electric one. The result is fewer energy losses, improved efficiency and greater mileage. Read more at Hybrid Cars in Reuters or in the press release from Hyundai below. Zelectric Motors has completed its electric 1966 Volkswagen Beetle rebuild, and has put it up for sale. The '66 ZelectricBug, as it's called, is powered by a 50-kW electric motor and 20-kWh battery pack, and offers 120 pound-feet of torque. It has a range of 80 miles, and is capable of at least 100 mph. The stock transmission has been rebuilt. It also has some new goodies like high-performance sway bars, custom shocks, and LED lighting. The '66 ZelectricBug is priced at $45,000. Check it out in the video below and read more at Hybrid Cars. A startup called Alevo says it will build a billion-dollar factory in North Carolina to make longer-lasting lithium iron phosphate batteries. Alevo has purchased an old cigarette factory in Concord for $68.5 million, but it's unclear whether or not the company has secured the $1 billion investment to begin producing batteries. The company plans to create 2,500 to 6,000 jobs and produce several gigawatts worth of batteries per year, which is a tall order for a relatively unknown company. Read more at Gigaom, or in Alevo's press release below. Tesla owners in Shanghai will be exempt from the city's $12,000 registration fee. About 400 people have already received the free license plates in Shanghai, where the government wants to encourage alternative fuel vehicles.